1. Field
The systems and methods described in this patent document relate generally to wireless communication and more specifically to identification information for mobile stations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile stations, such as mobile telephones, mobile email devices, and other mobile communication devices, which communicate via a wireless network, typically function as client devices that request access to various services through the wireless network. These services may include telephone services, e-mail services, web access services and various messaging services. Wireless network operators require data from mobile stations to traverse gateways and central routing points, which are located outside of the wireless network, to maintain strict billing and usage models. The primary goal of those running the networks is to monitor data usage and charge appropriately, despite the fact that this may limit the options for the mobile stations on the network. Thus, wireless users may be restricted in what they can do and may be forced into a limited data communication model that inhibits expansion of usage models. This restrictive network design limits the average revenue per user and the growth of wireless networks for data traffic.
Systems for peer-to-peer communication are also available for mobile stations. Current peer-to-peer communication systems, such as SMS or instant messaging, use centralized gateways that attempt to keep track of all users and correlate them into requested groups or buddy lists. These systems force users to use centralized gateways for all communication, thus creating the potential for bottlenecks, data slowdowns and single points of failure.